Unit 8 Media Mix Lesson 2 A long time ago…

Identify the author’s argument

Speak and read

1. Work in pairs. Look at the photos and answer the questions.
2. What kinds of movies can you see in the photos?
3. Which of the movies do you recognize?
4. What are the titles of the movies?
5. Read the article and answer the questions.

Your rating:

Summary: A young Luke Skywalker tries to rescue Princess Leia from the evil Darth Vader and save the galaxy from the dangerous Empire.

Director: George Lucas

Stars: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, and Carrie Fisher

    Along time ago in a galaxy far, far away. A movie called Star Wars opened and became one of the most important movies in history.

There has never been a movie like Star Wars. The movie’s characters have become universal symbols of good and bad. Phrases like ‘May the Force be with you” have entered the English language, and it has had a huge influence on other movies.

There are several reasons for the movie’s importance. First, it used different genres in one movie. Star Wars was a science fiction movie, but it was also an adventure movie. Many of the movie’s ideas also came from westerns. Second, it was one of the first movies to use computer-generated special effects successfully. Third, it was one of the first big summer movies.

Today we call big, expensive, successful movies “blockbusters.” Most blockbusters arrive in theaters between the months of May and September. For example the Pirates of the Caribbean, Spider-Man, and Transformers movies were all summer blockbusters.

Finally, Star Wars was the first movie to produce merchandise. Apart from the six movies and the television series, there have also been Star Wars books, comic books, magazines, DVDs action figures, board games, video games, T-shirts, and cups.

For all of these reasons, especially the last one, I believe Star Wars changed movies forever. Have you ever seen the original Star Wars movie? If you have, then I’m sure you’ll agree with me.

3. Read all the text above again.

Match the words in green to the definitions.

1. Popular movies – blockbusters
2. Kinds of movies – genres
3. A measurement of something’s popularity – rating
4. A short version with the most important details – summary
5. People in a book or movie – characters
6. Something people buy and sell – merchandise
7. React Work in pairs. Ask and answer the questions.

1. Which Stars Wars movies have you seen?
2. What’s your favorite science fiction movie?
3. What other blockbuster movies have you seen?